Grand Scheme by Foxymoron

There was an exciting last board in an earlier match in the NICKO against Mike Bell's team, where the opponents had to find a successful lead against 7S Redoubled, and did so. Woodberry A thus found themselves in the NICKO plate, making a pleasant journey to Tunbridge Wells. This is one of the nicest clubs in Britain, a few minutes walk from the railway station, and with their own grandiose premises. 

There were not many swings in the match, with a game made in one room and a missed slam in the other room, but then a wild board occurred. Try it first as a play problem before you scroll down for the full hand. It is 7NT by South.

West led the king of clubs. As you can see there are 12 top tricks and an unlikely 3-3 diamond break would give you plenty of tricks. Declarer won the club lead and cashed the top diamonds discarding two clubs and a spade. Diamonds did not break so now declarer needed a diamond-spade squeeze but that did not work either and so he went one down, losing 17 IMPs against 6NT in the other room. What had he missed?

This was the full hand. There is no hurry to cash the top diamonds and declarer should first of all play six rounds of hearts discarding a club and three diamonds from South. Now declarer crosses to the ace of spades and cashes three top diamonds. West is squeezed in spades and clubs. If East were in sole guard of spades and diamonds, this would still work, as East would be squeezed in diamonds and spades on the last heart. Keeping the nine of clubs in dummy is the key to the hand.

At the table, West discarded the eight of clubs on the first diamond (!) but noticed that he had a diamond in with his hearts in time. The eight of clubs became a major penalty card and now declarer could have made the contract by playing a club to the nine. Of course this was an unlikely line, but the double squeeze was not.

Woodberry A, Lamford and Conway, Barnett and Bernard, ran out comfortable winners by 21 IMPs and now play away to Thame A in the next round.

Queen of Diamonds by Foxymoron

 

The playing card which seems to feature most in art is the queen of diamonds, a symbol of both wealth and greed. Surprisingly it is the playing card that features most often in tattoos as well. 

It is not my favourite card, and I failed to guess who had it in a hand from last week.

I opened 1H on the North hand, and playing fairly simple methods my partner could do little other than raise to 4H. This can be a bit weaker than South had, and I decided not to make a slam-try on the North hand. That was prudent, as I would probably not have made it. I would have led the queen of spades on the East hand, but Raoul Fishman led a trump. I won and played a second trump and now it looked normal to lead the king of diamonds and another diamond. 

West played low perforce, and I had to decide who had the lady. I could play the ace and ruff a diamond. This would make 12 if the diamonds were 3-3 and at least 11 if they were 4-2. I could ruff a club, ruff another diamond, ruff a club and discard a spade on the long diamond. Perhaps the best line.

But knowing that the queen of diamonds was indicative of greed, I decided to run the jack of diamonds. Now I would have made 13 if the diamonds were 3-3 with the queen onside, and still 12 if the diamonds were 4-2 with the queen on. Sadly, East won and now played a spade and the defence had two tricks. I was still hopeful that if East had the ace of spades he would not play one, but not to be. He led a spade and West won his ace.

The good result of only conceding -650 helped Raoul and his partner David Evans to a fine win.